Harrowing story from the Ontario Street area of St. Catharines where a 300-pound man abducted a 14-year old girl from a park and began to drag her away. Citizens combined to intervene, call 9-1-1.  St. Catharines Standard 

The company that owns the air miles program known as Aeroplan, Aimia Inc, has decided to move its business to the TD Bank. It seems like a blow to CIBC which has held the card issuing franchise since its inception. Now CIBC is struggling to retain the customers who have accounts and other business with CIBC. It’s reasonable to think that some of those customers might follow Aeorpolan to the TD with all their business, a double whammy for the Commerce.  Aerogold moving

Back in March, well before the drug video story broke, Mayor Ford is said to have visited a west end jail to try to see an acquainance, Bruno Bellisimmo, 43. He was refused a visit because the jail was closed.  Globe and Mail 

The City of Toronto is rushing into the 21st Century! As early as January you might be able to buy tickets for the Toronto Island ferry online, The Star reports. The Toronto islands are a welcome respite from the city but many people are put off by the long lines for tickets during the summer months. The Star says that the city plans to hire a company to build a dedicated website that would sell tickets online, allowing passengers to go straight through the pre-purchase line. The contract is valued at $588,908.

Hope you grabbed some of the sale vinegar at Olive Oil Emporium, 1707 Bayview Ave., up by Parallele Sunday.  Watch us for late breaking retail news.

Oprah Winfrey is probably right when she suspects there was some racism behind the charade about pricing in that Geneva handbag shop. The clerk kept telling the fabulously wealthy Winfrey that she couldn’t afford the items on display. What many North Americans don’t know is just how far bigotry seeps into the everyday business affairs of many Europeans. Born into affluent culturally-unified  communities, a lot of high-brow Swiss, German, French and others are quite openly prejudiced, especially against non-whites. As to the intense sensitivity of Kim Wheeler, an Ojibway-Mohawk lady from Winnipeg, over the toy headdress piece in an H&M, it seems overdone. Of course Ms. Wheeler is entitled to dislike what she saw and to complain if she must.  But her overweening notion that headdresses are not be worn in nightclubs is over the top. People wear the Queen’s tiara in nightclubs. They wear the Pope’s ring.  It may give offense to some but our freedoms trump hurt feelings.